Death of a Dreamer
by Laurnadoon
Summary: I smiled to myself because I couldn't agree more. Fry was a dreamer, a very determined dreamer. He had taken the future as his own. It belonged to him.


Death.

Its omnipresence all-encompassing. It is the dark shadow that follows us, neither too close nor too far. Close enough to remember at times, but far enough away to forget. As you go on in life the shadow grows closer, overbearing your thoughts and dreams. But some are not so lucky to have this warning; some never look back on their shadow and pretend that it doesn't even exist. But it does. It's always there. Some don't have time.

My mind is clouded by death, haunted by the thought. For the first time in my life, I saw the shadow. It wasn't taking my existence, but that of the man I loved. It all happened too fast. I simply blinked and then it was over.

We were on our way back from a mission. Fry plugged in the coordinates wrong, so we were lost in deep space again…nothing too unusual. But then the unusual did happen…we flew through an uncharted region and the ship lost all power.

I did all the things I normally did when this kind of stuff happened. We checked and double-checked every bell and whistle on that damn ship, but nothing was broken or out of place. We even sent Bender out to do a diagnostic check, but nothing was wrong. Except for the fact that we were stuck in the middle of nowhere, in the vacuum of space, with no power, no one to call, and no way out.

So we floated for days. Eventually we ran out of alcohol and Bender became obsolete, with a thick layer of oxidation built around his mouth that was so deep it seemed he grew a rusty beard. He was so sober that he blacked out cold for eighteen hours. That even broke Fry's record.

We were tired, hungry, and hopeless by the time the first power surge took effect. I was sleeping in my quarters when the sound of the engines powering on graced my ears like a glorious melody. But before I could put my boots on, the lights flickered and we were engulfed in darkness and silence once again.

As we continued to list through space, Bender grew more and more agitated. He had never been sober a full week before and his personality and judgment chips must have been decaying with rust. He constantly screamed at us, calling us names, getting under our skin. Jeering at Fry's lack of intellect and dexterity and of course my eye, he tore us open to our most vulnerable state.

We know he didn't do it on purpose. It was hard for all of us floating in that tomb, just waiting to die. I hated it, we all did. But we would have gone through it a million times over to change what had happened the next day.

It was a quiet morning, like most, and Fry and I had just woken up. We walked to the bridge to find an infuriated Bender.

"What took you meat sacks so long? I have been standing watch for a stupid ship all night!" He wreathed, rust spewing in spurts from his mouth.

"Sorry Bender," I replied calmly. "We must have overslept."

"Of course you did, why would one-eye care about a stupid robot?" He sneered. "Robots don't need sleep, robots can work all day without any respect, robots deserve to be slaves!" Bender continued on in an obscenely ridiculous voice, mocking what seemed to be my own.

Fry glanced at me nervously as Bender's body began to glow red hot in hatred and anger. I took a step forward, trying to console the raging metal beast, but he would not be quelled. He continued his rant, marching towards me with a deathly glare. His features were distorted in abhorrence and his movements stiffened. I took a defensive stance and crossed my arm out in front of my body.

Bender rushed forward, leaping into the air. Just then, I was distracted as shock of red rushed in front of me, just in time to take Bender's murderous blow.

Fry was thrown into the front window with the force of the impact. I heard the tell tale sound of bone crunching. I fell to the floor in shock, nauseated and dizzy. Bender snapped out of his insanity at that sound. He rushed to peel Fry from the window. Scarlet blood had already stained through his thick hair.

I rushed to find the medical kit and tried to staunch his bleeding head wound, but with no avail. With only the light of Bender's eyes to see by, I wrapped his head in gauze and cradled him in my lap.

He was dying, I could see it. His breath was uneven and his pulse was nearly nonexistent. His existence faltered, wavering towards his final resting state. Tears bubbled up within me and I cried. I cried for Fry, to celebrate his life, to mourn his death, to remember the good times, and to remember the bad. But most of all, I cried because I loved him…more than any other living thing in the universe.

His eyes flickered open and he peered at me closely, the glint of life slowly dulling.

"Don't cry Leela," he whispered in a barely audible rasp. "I love you…"

I gasped and gazed at him. With a fixed stare, he smiled softly and struggled to caress my cheek with his hand. I smiled at his touch; it always filled me with such unconceivable warmth.

His hand fell and the shadow came, claiming Fry for his own. I picked him up gingerly and carried him to my bed. I knelt down beside him and held his hand, tears falling freely.

"I love you too Fry," I whispered and stood up. I kissed his lips and fell to the floor in grief.

It was another day before the ship had floated back into an area that didn't suppress its power. I flew home with a steady eye and a stony expression. Bender had not come out of the engine room since the accident. As soon as we landed, I stood and walked down the ramp of the ship. My coworkers called after me as I exited the Planet Express building, but I couldn't bring myself to look back.

I spent the next five days in my bed, only getting up to eat or use the restroom. I could not stop thinking of him, dreaming of him.

Amy called numerous times, trying to get me to talk about what happened. Apparently Bender had also disappeared.

I ignored her. I knew that if I told them the truth, it would all become too real. I couldn't deal with real. I wanted to stay in my bed, where according to my imagination, Fry was still very much alive.

I attended his funeral. It was in central park. I stood beside his favorite tree in the back as many people stood and spoke about Fry's life. I was not listening. I didn't want to.

Finally after many tears and goodbyes, everyone left his gravesite. I stepped forward from the shadows, that I had become so well acquainted with, and knelt beside his grave.

"Fry," I sighed. "I can't believe that you're gone. I can't believe that tonight you wont call me, desperate for me to go out with you. I can't believe that I never got the chance to say yes. I can't believe we never got the chance to be married or have children. I can't believe that I am going to grow old without you…I can't believe that I have to live without you."

A tear slipped down my face into the fresh soil below. Fry saved my life…I should be grateful to him. I should be living my life in his honor. He is the best man I have ever known…and the only man I will ever truly love.

"I wish that I could stay here," I choked out. "Be with you forever…but I know that's not what you would have wanted. I love you so much Fry. I always have and I always will. I know that I will see you in the future, but until that day comes…I will hold you in my heart, always."

I looked down at his tombstone before walking away. It read:

Phillip J. Fry

The future belongs to those who believe in the power of their dreams.

I smiled to myself because I couldn't agree more. Fry was a dreamer, a very determined dreamer. He had taken the future as his own. It belonged to him.


End file.
